A Creative Boost for Minority Students

Article excerpt

Regarding the Aug. 29 article "Posse potential" on minority
support groups at colleges: Thanks for recognizing the significance
of this program, and for the quality narrative about the
participants who leaped hurdles to get to Bowdoin College.

I recall my master's-in-nursing research paper (1992) on the
paucity of minorities in nursing. One of the overwhelming causes of
failure to graduate from nursing programs was a lack of a "like"
community on campus. The data indicated that education and
socialization in a vacuum, on predominately white campuses between
freshman and sophomore years, took its toll on minority students.

I am delighted and encouraged by this program and the individuals
selected. I found the dormitory living with the campus exposure
invaluable in shaping who I am today. My initial MLK scholarship led
to a love of learning and helping others.

Bowdoin's administration is to be congratulated for its vision
and commitment to increasing access and successful higher-education
outcomes for multicultural students.

Rosalene M. Dixon Cambridge, Mass.

Schools need more money for ESL

Your Aug. 23 article "Enrollment boom will test schools" stated
that immigration is one of the causes for that boom. In some cities,
mass immigration is the major cause of surging student populations.

The cost of educating immigrants can be computed by dividing the
total number of students into the total budget, less ESL costs -
which apply only to the immigrants. Then multiply the cost per
student times the number of immigrant students and add all the ESL
costs to see what it costs to educate immigrant children. It can be
a shock.

Immigration is the largest unfunded federal mandate and it is out
of control. We need a cap of 200,000 immigrants annually from all
sources. That number would not produce population growth from
immigration.

In the meantime, Congress should appropriate money to reimburse
local schools for the cost of educating immigrants.